Meaning
To let something fail completely.
Cultural Background
The Dutch value 'stiptheid' (punctuality). If a train is 5 minutes late, people might already say things are 'running into the hundred'. In Flanders, the phrase is also common, but they might more frequently use 'in de soep lopen' in informal contexts. In Dutch business, admitting you let something 'in het honderd lopen' is seen as a sign of honesty (directness), provided you have a solution. Students use this constantly to describe their exam periods or messy house parties.
Use 'de boel'
Adding 'de boel' (the stuff/the situation) makes you sound much more like a native speaker: 'Hij liet de boel in het honderd lopen.'
Laten vs. Lopen
Don't forget 'laten' if you are the one who caused the mess. If you say 'Ik liep in het honderd,' it sounds like you are physically walking into a crowd of 100 people.
Meaning
To let something fail completely.
Use 'de boel'
Adding 'de boel' (the stuff/the situation) makes you sound much more like a native speaker: 'Hij liet de boel in het honderd lopen.'
Laten vs. Lopen
Don't forget 'laten' if you are the one who caused the mess. If you say 'Ik liep in het honderd,' it sounds like you are physically walking into a crowd of 100 people.
Perfect Tense
In the perfect tense, use 'laten lopen' (two infinitives) instead of 'gelaten gelopen'. This is a common B2-level grammar hurdle.
Directness
Don't be afraid to use this with your boss if a project is failing; they will appreciate the clarity more than a vague explanation.
Test Yourself
Vul het juiste werkwoord in (let op de tijd!).
Gisteren ______ de hele planning in het honderd.
The sentence is in the past tense ('gisteren'), so 'liep' is correct.
Welke zin is correct?
De manager...
This correctly uses the causative 'laten' and the correct article 'het'.
In welke situatie gebruik je deze frase?
Je bent een evenement aan het organiseren, maar je bent de muziek, het eten en de uitnodigingen vergeten.
You are describing a completed action that you caused.
Maak de dialoog af.
A: 'Waarom is de vergadering geannuleerd?' B: 'Omdat de secretaresse de agenda...'
The secretary (subject) allowed the agenda (object) to fail.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesGisteren ______ de hele planning in het honderd.
The sentence is in the past tense ('gisteren'), so 'liep' is correct.
De manager...
This correctly uses the causative 'laten' and the correct article 'het'.
Je bent een evenement aan het organiseren, maar je bent de muziek, het eten en de uitnodigingen vergeten.
You are describing a completed action that you caused.
A: 'Waarom is de vergadering geannuleerd?' B: 'Omdat de secretaresse de agenda...'
The secretary (subject) allowed the agenda (object) to fail.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
12 questionsNo, it's neutral. It's a descriptive idiom for failure, not a swear word.
Usually, it's for plans, projects, or situations. You don't say 'A person runs into the hundred' unless you mean their life or work is a mess.
'In de soep lopen' is slightly more informal and 'messy', but they are 95% interchangeable.
No, 'iets' is a placeholder for the object. You can say 'de planning', 'het feest', or 'de boel'.
It's common in journalism and business reports, but avoid it in strictly legal or scientific texts.
Historically, 100 represented a chaotic, unmanageable number.
No, the idiom is fixed with 'honderd'.
Say: 'Ik heb het in het honderd laten lopen.'
Yes, it is perfectly understood and used in Flanders.
No, it is exclusively for failure and chaos.
Het liep in het honderd / Ik liet het in het honderd lopen.
You can just say 'Het liep in het honderd' if you don't want to specify who caused it.
Related Phrases
in de soep lopen
synonymTo fail completely (informal).
in het water vallen
similarTo be canceled.
de mist in gaan
similarTo make a mistake.
spaak lopen
similarTo come to a halt.
alles op rolletjes lopen
contrastEverything is going perfectly.
